Acoustical assembly



Aug. 26,1941. 7 J. Y. DUNBAR 2,253,953

ACOUSTICAL ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR gr/2415s 7. pl/NEAE.

TITORNVEY boo Aug. 2 6, 1941.- J. Y. DUNBAR 2,253,953

Acous ncnd ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR cfi/uss Y 0u/veA/2 j] I I ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 26, 1941 ACOUSTICAL ASSEMBLY .lames Y. Dunbar, New York, N. Y; assignor to Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York I Application January 14-, 1939, Serial No. 250,891

5.Claims. (Cl. 15444) The present invention relates to acoustical assemblies and particularly to improvementsin acoustical umts comprising a sound-absorbing pad and a cover therefor.

An acoustical treatment for walls, ceilings, and the like, which has achieved outstanding commercial success, is disclosed in patent to Norris No. 1,726,500, issued August 2'7, 1929, and includes a perforated facing element, behind which is disposed a sound-absorbing medium. As

A still further object of the invention is'the provision of a pad and cover assembly whichis constructed for ready insertion in the pan, while shown in said patent, the perforated facing element preferably takes. the form of a plurality indivdual fibrous sound-absorbing pads.

In acoustical treatments of this type, the faces of the pads adjacent the pans are preferably covered with a sound'and air-permeable element such as a coarse textile fabric, wire cloth, or the like, the permeable element permitting the passage of sound to the pads but maintaining the fibres of the pads in their felted or matted relationship. Suitably, the pads are also covered on their upper surfaces and their side edges with an air-impermeable material to prevent breathing, that is, the passage of air through the pads upon variations in pressure above and below the acoustical treatment. The coverings have also been found to be highly desirable to reinforce and support the fibrous pads, both in use and in transportation and storage. I

A wrapper or casing of the type shown, for example, in patent to I-Iufline No. 1,984,190, issued December 11, 1934, has heretofore been employed to provide the desired pad covering. Such coverings have, however, proven diilicult of assembly and have not given the pad reinforce-- ment and protection desired, particularly when the pads are used in conjunction with the relatively elongated pans now in commercial use.

It is an. object of the present invention to provide an improved acoustical pad cover which is stiffer and more resistant to deformation in shipping and handling than the coverings heretofore provided.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an acoustical pad cover as referred to above in which an open'face of the cover includes one or more integrally formed supporting bars preventingsagging of the pad.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an acoustical pad cover formed from a single foldable blank of sheet material, the blank being constructed and arranged for ready assembly with the pad.

of metal pans including vertical edges supported .from the ceiling or wall, the pans containing of any substantial quantity of air between the edges of the pad and pan is prevented.

My invention will be more fully understood and further advantages and objects thereof will become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description 'thereof which is to follow and to the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled acoustical unit in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 2-2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view depicting the assembly of the present invention employed in an acoustical construction of a preferred type;

Fig. 5 is a face view of a blank for the pad cover employed in the assembly of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the blank of Fig. 5 in partially folded condition;

Fig. "7 is a perspective view of a further stage in the folding of the blank of Fig. 5, the position of the blank being reversed with respect to Figs. 5 and 6 for cleamess of illustration; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the blank and pad in'a final stage of their assembly.

Referring now to the drawings, a pad and cover assembly III in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. Following conventibnal practice, the pad I! of sound-absorbing material (see particularly Fig. 2) suitably comprises a mat or felt of fibrous material such as mineral wool, hair, or the like. The pad is entirely enclosed in a cover It formed from a single blank of a suitable material. A face panel l6 of the cover lies adjacent the face of the pad to be exposed to the sound to be absorbed and includes cutouts l8 defining narrow pad supporting rims 20 and one or more cross bars 22. Although substantially rectangular cutouts are shown, it will be understood that the the cutouts and to the rims 2., preferably at the I inner face of the face panel, is a sound-pervious sheet material 22, such as cheesecloth, light muslin, wire cloth of fine mesh, or thelike.

Preferably, the dimensions of the face panel are made such that the panel, when resting upon conventional spacer strips 24 or the like within pans 2| of a conventional acoustical treatmentof the type shown in the previously referred to Norris patent, for example (see Fig. 4) flts relatively tightly therein to reduce to a minimum the movement of air between the edges of the pan and pad-assembly or unit. The side and end walls of the cover are preferably sloped inwardly from the face panel as illustrated, whereby accommodation is made for the ends of the pan supporting means, such as the conventional T- bars 20, notwithstanding the tight flt of the face panel in the pan.

The-material from which the pad cover t4 is formed, except forthe porous sheet 23, suitably In the assembly of the cover with the soundabsorbing pad, the latter is placed upon the blank over the permeable fabric 23 with its edges supported on the rims 20. The end flanges SI are then bent upwardly on fold lines 14 to lie against the ends of the pad I! and locking flaps 44, and locking tabs 48 are folded inwardly on their respective fold lines to overlie the face and sides, respectively, of the pad. The side flange 38, carrying integral closure flap 40, is then bent upwardly so that the flange lies against the pad edge and embraces locking tab 48 and the closure flap 40 is folded downwardly into contact with the end locking flaps 44. At this point, the closure flap 40 is suitably secured to the end locking flaps 44 in any suitable manner, for example, by inserting the anvil of a stapling device beneath the locking flanges 2|, as permitted by .the yieldable tabs 54, and driving a staple 44 through the overlapping members. The forming of the cover to this stage is illustrated in Figs.

6 and '7. Side flange 38 carrying closure flap 42 substantially .invisible through the perforations 21 of the pans 2!.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5-8, a preferred form of the blank from which the covering I4 is made and the preferred manner of assembling the same with the pad i2 to produce the acoustical unit of Figs. 1, 2, and 4,'will be described. The blank, as indicated in Fig. 5, includes the face panel It provided with the cutouts l8 defining the relatively narrow pad supporting rims 20 and the one or more reinforcing and supporting cross bars 22 previously described, Sound-pervious sheet material 23 such as cheesecloth, wire cloth, or the like is secured to the rims 20 and the cross bar 22, if desired, suitably by an adhesive and in a manner to entirely overlie the cutouts, as previously referred to. g a

Extending from the face panel it along fold lines 32 and 24 are integral side flanges I8 and end flanges ll, respectively. Extending from the side flanges 26 along fold lines II are integral closure flaps 44 and 42 of a combined width to slightly overlap on the back of the completed The end flanges ll carry integral locking flaps 44 extending along fold lines and also integral locking tabs 40 extending from the ends of the flanges '24 along fold lines ill. The several fold lines 22, l4, 34, 46. and suitably constitute scorings or the like to facilitate the bending of the blank in the formation of the completed cover. The ends of flanges 38 and 38 are suitably cut at an acute angle to the fold lines "and 24, respectively, to provide the slanting walls of the unit, as disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

The end flanges 38 are suitably provided with connected slits 52 forming centrally located tongues 4 attached to the flanges adjacent the fold lines 84. The closure flaps 40 and 42 have semicircular slits 56 deflning semicircular tongues 54, and closure flap 44 additionally ineludes parallel slits I defining a locking tongue is then brought into engagement with the other longitudinal edge of the pad l2 to embrace the remaining locking flanges 48 and closure flap 42 is folded downwardly to overlap closure flap 40, locking tongue 62 carried by flap 40 being raised to overlie the closure flap 42, as illustrated in Fig. 8. Staples or other suitable fastening means 64 are then driven in a manner similar to that previously described through the overlapping pdrtions of the cover flaps, the semicircular flaps yielding to permit the insertion of the anvil of the stapling device as indicated in Fig. 8.

Alternatively to the use of the staples or other such fastening means as above described, an adhesive may be employed to secure the several overlapping flaps. In such case the provision of yieldable tabs 54 and 58 may be omitted.

Suitably, the forming of the cover blanks and the assembly thereof with the sound absorbing pads may take place as a continuous operation. Thus, the blanks may be stamped out in a single operation by a suitable die, and the blanks con- .veyed to stations where the sound-pervious material is applied over the cutout face panel and the pads are placed on the blanks and the blanks folded and secured therearound in the manner previously described. The folding and securing of the blanks may be performed either as a manual or a machine operation.

The pad assembly has been described above as 55 particularly applicable to employment with i said Norris patent.

ever, that the assembly need not be employed acoustical treatments of the type disclosed in the It will be understood, howtherewith and is adaptable for use either alone as a sound-absorbing treatment or in connection with other types of facing elements.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to, but that various changes and modifications will suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as deflned by the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. An acoustical unit for insertion in a pan including a sound-pervious lower face and flange: projecting at substantially right angles theretr for engagement with supporting means, said unii comprising a sound-absorbing pad including I face to be exposed to the sound to be absorbed am a cover forsaid pad, said cover comprising a pan el dimensioned to fit tightly within said pan adjacent said pervious lower face thereof and said panel overlying the said face of the pad and including cutouts defining relatively narrow pad supporting rims, flanges continuous therewith and overlying the end and side edges of the pad, said flanges sloping at an acute angle to said panel whereby said unit, when inserted within said pan, will contact the flanges thereof adjacent the panel to prevent substantial movement of air between the unit and pan flanges without interference with the attachment of such pan flanges to the supporting means, closure flaps continuous with saidside flanges and overlying the back of said pad, and sound-pervious sheet material interposed between said pad and said panel.

2. A cover blank for a sound-absorbing pad including a face to be exposed to the sound tobe absorbed, said blank comprising a face panel including cutouts defining pad supporting rims, flanges extending from the side edges of said pane1 to define sidewalls, members extending from said flanges to define closure flaps having portions in overlapping relationship, flanges extending from the end edges of said panel to define end walls, and locking members extending from the end and side edges of said end wall defining flanges, said end wall defining flanges and at least one of said closure flaps includingcuts defining depressible tabs to permit the entry of an element of a fastener driving means beneath said closure flaps when the latter are in said overlapping relationship.

'3. An acoustical unit comprising a sound-absorbing pad including a face to be exposed to the sound to be absorbed and a cover for the pad, said cover including a panel pervious to airborne sounds throughout a major portion of its area, said panel overlying said face of the pad, sideand end flanges continuous with the panel and overlying the side and end edges of the pad. closure flaps continuous with said side flanges portions in lapping relationshi pad and including means comprising depressible tabs in said end flanges and in said lapping portions to permit the entry of an element of a fastener driving means, and fasteners driven through said lapping portions to secure said unit in assembled relationship.

4. An acoustical unit comprising a sound-absorbing pad including a face to be exposed to the sound to be absorbed and a cover for the pad, said cover including a panel pervious to airborne, sounds throughout a major portion of its area overlying said face of the pad, side flanges continuous therewith and overlying the side edges of the pad, end flanges continuous with the panel and overlying the end edges of the pad, said side and end flanges sloping at .an acute angle to the panel, and closure flaps continuous with said side flanges and overlying the back of he pad and inand overlying the back of the cluding portions in'lapping relationship, means comprising depressible tabs in said end flanges and in said lapping portions to permit the entry of an element of a fastener driving means, and fasteners driven through said, lapping portions to secure said unit in assembled relationship.

5. A.cover blank for a sound-absorbing pad including a face to be exposed to the sound to be absorbed, said blank comprising a face panel including cutouts defining pad supporting rims, flanges including converging end edges extending from the side edges of said panel to define side walls, members extending from said flanges to deflne closure flaps having portions in overlapping relationship, flanges including converging end edges extending from the end edges of said panel to define end walls. at least one of said closure flaps including cuts defining a depressible tab to permit the entry of an element of a fastener driving means beneath said closure 40 flaps when in overlapping relationship.

JAMES Y. DUNBAR. 

